After the Tsunami.....

It's hard to know what to say after an event like that. On the one hand we are so far removed from the disaster, that were virtually unaffected, on the other hand there is so much devastation in the south. In some ways you guys knew more about what had happened than I did. I was in central Thailand when the Tsunami struck, and though there was reports of the disaster on TV, It was in Thai. Paew was interpreting for me, but it wasn't til I got back to Pattaya and saw the American news network coverage showing how bad the destruction was. Harvey and I were in the South in July and August. The first time we spent a couple weeks in Patong beach (Phuket). The second time we went to Phuket for a short time, then went to Kho Phi Phi and Railay. As I watch the news coverage I recognize some of the places they show. It must have been horrible for those people who were stuck in the middle of that. The Tsunami hit at 11:00 AM, so the beaches and beachfront businesses must have been full of people. This the height of the tourist season, so there was even more people in these areas than when we were there. I can't imagine what it would have been like. In Patong Beach the high ground is maybe a quarter mile from the beach. I think the entire beachfront and most of the area around it was completely destroyed. I imagine if you could get to the high ground or the upper floors of the hotels you might have been OK, but people who were in their first floor hotel rooms, or around the beachfront were screwed. That's Patong, Phi Phi Island was almost completely low lying. Most of the Island is steep rock cliffs, so all of flat ground was used for shops hotels and restaurants. Many of the hotels offered bungalows that are little more than a light wood frame with a bamboo or woven palm frond skin. They were really quaint little standalone accommodations. From the pictures I've seen the bungalows have completely vanished. All that is left is the concrete slabs that they sat on. Phi Phi is a very narrow Island. The resort we stayed at had beachfront on either side of it. It was a great place for a vacation, but there was virtually no where to run in the event of a Tsunami. It very likely had waves coming in from both directions. I guess if you could get to a second floor you might have been OK, but most of the island was one story. Right now there are 3000 Americans, and many more Thai's unaccounted for. While I'm sure many of those people will turn up (apparently Harvey, me, and even Warren who is in LA were on the list). I would expect that many of those people are dead and not identified, or buried under debris, or lost at sea. The major grocery, and department stores have stands out in front of them to buy food, water and medical supplies for the victims in the South. Were gonna go down there today and do our part to help. Thailand has declared a three day mourning period. This will continue through New Years. They still haven't decided if there will be any New Year celebration in Pattaya. If there is it will be more of a wake than a New Years.